Hatton National Bank (HNB), a private commercial bank in Sri Lanka, has reportedly reached the milestone of serving 100,000 microentrepreneurs as a result of its “Gami Pubudwa” (Village Awakening) program whereby bankers, known as “barefoot bankers,” regularly interact with the rural population to educate individuals on banking and microfinance services and to create a more welcoming environment for potential borrowers. The program was launched in 1991 after HNB conducted two pilot projects in remote villages in Sri Lanka targeting skilled young farmers and found success educating people in the area of financial literacy and assisting in skill development. Gami Pubuduwa has become HBN’s financial literacy and microfinance steering program, run by 150 barefoot bankers [1]. As of December 2009 HNB reports USD 2.4 billion in assets and a return on assets of 1.6 percent.
About Hatton National Bank (HNB): Hatton National Bank (HNB) is a commercial bank in Sri Lanka founded in 1888 to serve Ceylon’s tea industry. It has now become a public limited company that offers financial literacy and microfinance products through its “Gami Pubudwa” (Village Awakening) program. Loans can total up to USD 8,000. As of December 2009 HNB reports USD 2.4 billion in assets and a return on assets of 1.6 percent.
By Diana Baide, Research Assistant
[1] Daily Mirror. “HNB Microfinance empowers entrepreneurship at grassroots” 25 September 2010
http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/business/127-local/22468.html Hatton
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